Richard died July 27, 2014, of heart failure at age 94. Richard was not a jumper, but served as an administrative assistant to the program. He was a pilot and arrived in Missoula with his own open-cockpit, biplane. In his spare time he gave pilot lessons to some of the jumpers.

His wife, Virginia, served as camp nurse. She is still alive and residing in Sunset Retirement Community. Richard was a Mennonite minister, serving a number of churches in his day, and retiring in 2003 from Staunton Mennonite Church.